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Last reviewed: K-Pop Idol Stories: Road to Debut · yesterday
there's no denying that Age of Mythology’s gameplay can feel simplistic, which is ironic, considering how influential the series has been. Having played a bunch back in the day, the missed campaigns are appreciated, but we can’t see ourselves regularly returning to the well.
Dragon Age: The Veilguard isn't quite BioWare back to its absolute best, but it is the most cohesive and emotionally engaging RPG that the studio has delivered since Mass Effect 3. Its shift to crunchy action combat is an improvement over Inquisition's middle-of-the-road approach, and although the game feels a little light on meaningful player choice, the storytelling pulls no punches when it actually matters. This is a gorgeous and gripping adventure, backed by a cast of endearing heroes and deliciously devious villains.
Borderlands 3: Moxxi's Heist of the Handsome Jackpot is more of what fans love. Sublime shooting mechanics and inventive loot form the backbone of an assault on Handsome Jack's riches, making for a speedy riot that touches on everything wonderful about the looter shooter. This is Borderlands 3 condensed into eight hours of blistering action, and with an engaging narrative to boot, it makes for an experience that fans would be foolish to skip.
Overall, this is an intelligent, neatly packaged puzzler worth checking out.
Wattam is a pure, adorable joy. Keita Takahashi's signature idiosyncrasies shine through in this playful game about friendship and finding pleasure in the simple things. Interacting with the wacky cast of characters is great fun, and there's almost no pressure to march on with the story if you'd rather do your own thing. It's a shame the technical side of things lets the experience down somewhat, but when the game is at its ludicrous best, you probably won't care.
Enjoyable at any age or ability, Untitled Goose Game is worth a gander.
From superb shots of the sea to underground caves illuminated by the crackling fire of your torch, uncovering a new area is an utter pleasure. It might be a year late, but Ashen still manages to carve out its own space for greatness.
Shenmue III is a game lost in time, but that's probably the greatest compliment you can pay this long-awaited sequel. Newcomers will be utterly bemused by its slice of life-style idiosyncrasies, but for franchise fans this is the faithful follow-up that they've been waiting almost two decades for.
Fight'N Rage borrows heavily from classics like Streets of Rage and Final Fight, but its combat does a great job of building on the basics without making things too complex.
Unless you're curious about the narrative, we'd beware of the dog in this case.
It's an incredibly accessible game, but the necessity to cooperate isn't as strong, and it may not hold your attention as much because there's less going on.
Blair Witch's strongest aspect -- its eerie woodland setting -- is perfect for a focused, streamlined, horror experience. Unfortunately, that's not what this game is, and the superfluous, gimmicky gameplay mechanics that are thrown at you with reckless abandon only serve to make the game less effective as a whole. A disappointing story, frustrating level design, and precious few genuine scares leaves us hoping that this is one franchise that gets lost in the woods.
Ancestors: The Humankind Odyssey has a huge gene pool of potential, but endless repetition and clunky controls need to be removed from its DNA. For die-hard survival and exploration fans there is a worthwhile experience here, but for everyone else this is a game that's so repetitive it'll drive you bananas.
The game pitches itself as FMV horror, and while the experience does incorporate those two elements the more you play, it never amounts to anything more than cheap jump scares and creepy episodes of breaking the fourth wall. It's effective enough the first time, but diminishing returns weaken the tactic dramatically.
By making a point of keeping things simple, Arise: A Simple Story excels in all the right places. Basic 3D platforming is elevated by the introduction of time manipulation, transforming the beauty of its locations into an interactable piece of art. And when its visual design is already this stunning, it makes for an experience that delights every sense imaginable.
All in all, you can cleave your way through Story of a Gladiator in just a handful of hours, but it's reasonably rewarding while it lasts. Enter the arena with tempered expectations, and you'll find a basic but moreish brawler.
Nomada Studio's picturesque adventure has made it to PlayStation 4 almost perfectly intact. The game shines at an unwavering 60 frames per second, and it looks superb on a standard console -- let alone PS4 Pro